BIO

Jemma Kepner (she/they) is a lighting designer and technician raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, attending world-renowned theaters, such as, American Repertory Theater. From a young age, Jemma aspired to create collaborative art to captivate the eye, mind, and heart. 

A recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) with a Bachelor's in Theater, focusing on Design, Technology & Management, Jemma also earned a Certificate in Multicultural Theater Practice. Jemma's time at UMass was noted by numerous awards, receiving the Humanities & Fine Arts William F. Field Award, the Frank Prentice Rand Scholarship, and the Remsen Design & Technology scholarship.

Jemma currently freelances around Massachusetts, primarily in the Pioneer Valley and Berkshire regions, as a Lighting Technician and Designer.

She recently worked as a Lighting Technician on Nightwood: A Fantastical Journey Through Sound & Light  at The Mount, Edith Wharton's Home. Prior professional credits have spanned Follow Spot Operator at The Huntington for their season-opener, Prayer for a French Republic,  Head Electrician for Cabaret at Barrington Stage Company, to Electrician and Follow Spot Operator for multiple shows at the Weston Theater Company, to Lighting Designer for a touring new cabaret musical, My Evil Twin, directed by Ron Bashford, written by Harley Erdman, composed by Eric Sawyer. Other recent credits include Lighting Designer and Production Electrician for some of the UMass Theater Departments' largest mainstage performances: Orlando by Sarah Ruhl directed by Iris Sowlat (Production Electrician), Aurash by Bahram Beyzai'e directed by Behnam Alibakshi (Lighting Designer), and Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim directed by Rudy Ramirez (Production Electrician).

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Headshot by Aishah Tolentino